


sero

by orphan_account



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Angst, Gen, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-06
Updated: 2014-02-06
Packaged: 2018-01-11 09:13:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1171309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bail comforts his daughter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	sero

He knocks on the door softly, not really expecting an answer. It’s locked, of course – the servants have tried all morning to bring breakfast and her gowns to her, but she’s refused all visitors. It’s not even her bedroom – it’s Breha’s private suite – but he knows all of the override codes and enters anyway. “Leia?”

She doesn’t look up at him or acknowledge his presence in any way, and keeps staring out the window. She’s wearing yesterday’s clothes – her white dress – and her hair is still twisted into those two plaited buns, falling out slightly because she hasn’t taken them down or washed at all in a few days. Bail sighs and makes his way over to her, and sits before her.

“Sweetheart. Come on. You’re not even dressed.”

She blinks and her lips tighten, but still she doesn’t look at him. “I’m not going.”

Bail’s throat tightens. “Leia,” he says, sounding hoarse.  _Be strong_. “Please. It’s… it’s important.”

His young teenaged daughter shakes her head. She looks so tired – bags under her eyes, pale… she probably hasn’t slept at all. She looks just like Padmé did during the war – drained, tired. It’s not fair. “I don’t deserve to go.”

“She’d want you there,” Bail whispers. Her left hand is limp beside her; Bail holds it gently between his. She feels cold.

Leia stares down at their joined hands for a moment, then pulls away and stands up abruptly and storms over to the vanity. She leans against the table, and Bail can see her shoulders shaking. “I hated these stupid things,” she says, picking up one of Breha’s glass figurines. It’s the one of two swans, their necks forming the shape of a heart. “They’re so ugly. We teased her  _all the time_  about collecting these.”

“Leia…” Bail says, moving to join her.

She shakes her head. “I hated them so much and now they’re just here and she isn’t,” she says, and puts the glass figurine down. She’s a bit rough with it and it cracks on contact but doesn’t break, and a sob catches in her throat. “Why did she have to die, Dad?”

He stands behind her now and holds her shoulders gently. “She was ill, sweetheart,” he whispers. It’s hard to talk. “We both knew it would happen one day.” Just… not so soon. Not so suddenly. All he wants to do is go back to his office and lose himself to the brandy cabinet, but he’d promised her. Like he’d promised Padmé.  _Be strong for her, Bail. Please. Look after her._

“Why did she have to die before I could say sorry?” Leia says, and he feels her shaking again. She tries to pull away but he doesn’t let her – he turns her around so she’s facing him, and he realises her eyes are brimming with tears. His are, too.

“She knew you loved her, Leia,” he whispers. “She always knew.”

“The last thing I said to her was that she wasn’t even my real mother!” Leia shouts. “And now she’s dead and I can’t say I’m sorry, I can’t tell her that I love her, I can’t –” She breaks off and a wretched sob shakes her hard, and Bail embraces her tightly, holding his daughter close as she starts to sob. “I can’t even say I’m sorry,” Leia weeps, clutching his shirt. “I can’t even say I’m  _s-sorry_  –”

“She knew,” Bail whispers.

“I want my Mum,” Leia cries.

Padmé. And now Breha. Bail clenches his eyes shut and lets the tears fall, and holds his daughter as she cries.  _Be strong for her, Bail. Please._  “I know,” he whispers, and hugs her close. “I know.”


End file.
